This was my first outing with the Nikon Z6 and 24-70mm f/4 lens. It’s quite a decent kit lens, but I wouldn’t go out and buy it by itself. It’s really nothing more than a kit lens to be used for travel and casual photography. To that end, it does just fine. Since the widest aperture of the lens if f/4, it doesn’t let in a lot of light such as in indoor environments. Luckily the Z 6 does quite well in low light.
Pros of the 24-70mm f/4 lens:
- Focuses reasonably close.
- Very sharp when stopped down to f/5.6 and above. Decent sharpness at f/4 though.
- Quick autofocus.
- Pairs nicely with the Z 6.
- Light weight.
- Useful range.
Cons:
- Nothing special.
- Pricey when bought by itself.
- Not as sharp as I would like at f/4 – can be quite soft.
- Not much bokeh.
In conclusion, it’s not a bad lens, it’s just nothing special. Next time we’re out on a family outing and I need a wide zoom range, I’ll pack this lens along. It’s definitely not something I would use for serious portraits or events though. For that, I’ll stick to the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens (yes, I know I’m talking about a different system). The Sony GM is just a much better built lens and the best 24-70 f/2.8 lens that I’ve ever used. Right now, Nikon mirrorless has nothing like that lens.
These photos were shot with the Z 6 and 24-70mm Z f/4 lens, edited using Lightroom for iPad and then VSCO. We visited the Frost Science Center for the better part of the day.